“Well, then you're just on time! You’re scheduled for my mid-morning time-slot.” She moved over to where there were three full-length mirrors that looked like they folded in on each other and a wooden stool. “Just come stand here, and we can get started.” Ever moved to stand on the stool when the woman clapped her hands, speaking loudly and suddenly. “Oh wait! Before we get started, you should probably try this on. I might need to make some adjustments.” The woman handed Ever a package wrapped in brown paper. Ever turned it over in their hands as the woman continued. “I have dressing rooms near the back.” 

She gestured to the curtains that covered small rooms near the back of the room and Ever nodded before heading toward them. They pulled the curtains back and entered the room, letting the curtain fall back into place. Opening the package, Ever let out a shocked gasp as the brown paper fell to the ground. There, made from rough beige fabric with silver hooks and latches, was a binder. 

Ever couldn’t even begin to imagine how the tailor had known that this was what they wanted, no, what they needed, let alone how to make it, but here it was. Ever removed their shirt, donning the magical item that somehow made them feel more at home in their own body. Looking at themselves in the mirror, they ran their fingers over their chest, a smile pulling at their lips at how flat it was. Ever felt like a different person, a better person, but that didn’t answer the question of how the tailor had known how to make this for them. 

Exiting the dressing room holding their shirt in their hand, Ever looked at the tailor who was going through the racks of clothes. “Hey, how did you know to make this for me?”

She looked up at Ever eyeing them as she took the needle she held between her lips. “When Julia called to make your appointment, she was very adamant that I have that ready for you when you arrive.” She moved over to another rack of clothes and began going through them as well. “I didn’t know what it was she wanted me to make, but she was very specific on the details and, after a rather long phone call, I’d gotten the idea.” She pulled a shirt off the rack and looked at Ever. “Is it too tight or too loose? I added extra latches so you could adjust it if need be.” 

Ever looked down at their chest, shaking their head. “No, it’s perfect.”

“Alright, then we can get started. Stand up there.” The tailor said, gesturing to the stool onto which Ever stepped up on as the woman began to get ready. “Spread your arms out.” 

Ever did as they were told, noticing that the shirt she had gotten from the rack hung on a hook along with a vest and a pair of black slacks. They suddenly remembered something very embarrassing that they really didn’t want to say out loud. Their face flushed as they spoke. “Um… I, uh, I don’t have any underwear on or at all really. Do you have some?” 

“Of course. It’ll be a couple more copper on your bill, but that shouldn’t be a problem.” She wrapped the measuring tape around Ever’s waist. “My name's Taylor, by the way! Was gonna call my shop Taylor’s Tailor, but really that just seemed a little too easy.” Taylor continued to talk as she measured them, and Ever nodded along with her until she called out. “Alright. That should do it. I’ll get you those undergarments and get to work making the adjustments on these clothes. It should take about an hour or so.” 

Ever stepped off the stool and Taylor handed them a couple pairs of cotton underwear, taking the clothes from the hooks and moving to the back. Ever put on a pair of underwear in the dressing room, not bothering to put the pants back on. They placed the remaining three pairs and Tesla’s shorts on the counter before taking their place next to Tesla and spending the next hour and a half people watching. 

Taylor came out of the back, the clothes held over her shoulder. “Get back on the stool.” Ever stepped onto the stool, and Taylor slipped the white dress shirt over Ever’s arms. She let it sit on their shoulders and Ever pulled their hair out from under the shirt as the tailor moved around to their front. She buttoned the shirt up, stepping away, placing her hands on her hips looking proud. “Move your arms and tell me how it feels.” 

Ever moved their arms, rotating their shoulders in circles and moving them back and forth. “It feels good. It’s not too tight.” 

“Perfect!” Taylor smiled, clapping her hands together before she took the pants off the copper wire hanger and handing them to Ever. The drifter slipped their legs into the pants pulling them on, struggling with the small copper button through the hole but, eventually, they managed. Taylor ran her thumb along the inside of the hem of their pants, humming slightly. “A little too big, but nothing a belt can’t fix.” She stood up and pulled the vest off the hook. “Try this on while I find you a belt.” 

Taylor tossed the vest at Ever, who barely managed to catch it as she moved over to a wall that was covered in belts. They looked down at the vest, which was made of a silky black fabric with two silver buttons. They pulled the vest, buttoning it up with a little less difficulty than they had with their pants, before tucking their shirt into their pants just as Taylor came bounding over with a belt in hand. “Here.” She handed this to Ever and moved over to Tesla. “Now about payment. The total cost is gonna be 12 silver coin and 3 copper.”

Ever threaded the belt through loops as the sound of rustling fabric and clinking metal was heard as Tesla requested. “Can I get a receipt?”

“Of course,” Taylor replied as Ever fastened the belt buckle and stepped off the stool. Tesla folded up her clothes and shoved them in her bag as Taylor wrote up a receipt. 

Ever looked down at their feet looking at the slightly too tight loafer and then back up at Taylor who had just handed Tesla a receipt, “Do you have any shoes?”

“Oh right! That was part of the order.” Taylor stood up and moved into the back, returning holding a cardboard box marked with a simple 7. “Try this one on.” She opened the box and inside were a pair of brown leather boots. Ever reached in pulling out the left shoe and Ever slipped out of the loafer before slipping into the boot. The boot fit rather well and was easy enough to get in and out of. “Oh, you need some stockings, don’cha?” 

After adding a sock to their ensemble, Ever took in their appearance in the three-way mirror. They looked like they had always wanted to look, except for one thing. Ever twirled a strand of hair orange around their finger. ‘Just one more thing and then I’ll be me.’ 

Leaving the tailor, the pair began the walk back toward Liberty Station, with Tesla being unusually quiet. Of course, Ever hadn’t known her for long, but she always seemed to have something to say. “Is something wrong?” Ever asked, leaning forward slightly, hands clasped behind their back. Tesla turned to look at Ever, a look of panic crossing her face.

“What? No! Nothing's wrong!” She practically yelled, her voice cracking as she looked away. 

“Well, your reaction says otherwise. What’s the matter, Tesla?” Ever prodded coming to a stop as Tesla did watching as she ran a hand through her hair.

“Nothin’s wrong, really. It’s jus’,” Tesla stuttered reaching up to anxiously tug at the pendent that hung around her neck. “I wanted to compliment you on yer outfit. I was gonna say you look beautiful, but that’s fer girls than I was gonna say yer handsome, but that’s fer boys, so I was tryin’ to find a way to say you look nice without usin’ the word nice cuz’ you look better than nice or more than nice.” 

Ever felt a laugh bubble up within themselves, and soon they were laughing like they hadn’t in a very long time. It was the type of laugh that you felt in your stomach, that stayed with you for hours afterward and made it hard to breathe, and brought tears to your eyes. Ever leaned forward, placing their hands on their knees as they struggled to catch their breath. 

“Did I do somethin’ funny?” Tesla tilted her head to the side in confusion when Ever looked, wiping a tear from the corner of her eye. 

Ever shook their head as they straightened back up, running a hand through their hair. “No. No. Not funny. Just…unexpected.” When Tesla raised an eyebrow at them, Ever elaborated. “It’s just I didn’t expect you to take this whole “gender neutral” thing as far as you have.” 

“Should I not have…” Tesla sounded unsure, looking off to the side as if looking for the trap, and it only made Ever chuckle a little more.

“No, no. It’s sweet really.” Ever said as they patted Tesla’s shoulder. “I’m just not used to people going this far to respect who I am, is all.” Ever walked forward, giving a nonchalant wave of their hand. “And besides, I think the fact that we have genders attached to compliments is stupid. I mean, they’re compliments, for Christ’s Sake! They’re there to make people feel good, so why should we limit ourselves to certain ones because of our gender?” 

Tesla pressed her lips together, humming slightly. “So, you don’t care what compliments I use? Like at all?”  

Ever shook their head. “Not a bit.” They watched Tesla fidget, and she began to jog after Ever. Silence filled the space between them as they walked, and Ever contemplated breaking it, but Tesla beat them to it.

“You, um, You're real pretty lookin’ in those clothes, Ever.” Tesla mumbled, scratching the side of her face as she avoided eye contact, choosing instead to look at the passing storefronts. 

Ever chuckled. “That compliment suits you.”

“Ya thin- CREPES!” Ever flinched at the sudden increase in volume.

“Cripes?” Ever asked, their hands pressed over their ears.

Tesla shook her head, pointing at a building. “No, crêpes. This place has the best crêpes in the world! I’ll be right back!” She bounded off toward a store with a sign that read. ‘Crazy for Crêpes’ and had a little wooden sign outside with daily specials. 

A few minutes after disappearing into the shop, Tesla walked out holding two huge-looking crêpes wrapped in napkins. She handed one to Ever, mumbling around a mouthful of food. “I just got the same thing fer both of us.” 

Ever took a bite of the dessert, they were surprised by how good they were and let out satisfactory. “Mmm.” 

“Good?” 

They did their best to walk in time with Tesla as they nodded and mumbled their agreement that the crêpes were indeed good and, as they listened to Tesla go on about something or other around a mouthful of food, Ever found themselves believing that they could get used to living in this strange new world where they could finally be themselves.